Thursday, January 03, 2008
When God Says Enough...
Scripture: John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. (Luke 3:7-8)
Observation: God is incredibly patient, more patient than we can imagine. But there comes a sure point where God decides that he must allow what is to be destroyed in order for something new to come about. Whether it was God restarting humanity with Noah’s family or John announcing that we must repent, the time comes when we must either choose to be faithful or watch calamity occur in our lives. And I also see that the Jewish people expected God to be lenient with them because they were “Children of Abraham” that they special and expected special treatment
Application: I wonder if I as a Christian don’t take living a holy life as seriously as I ought to because I think I can claim special dispensation like these Children of Abraham. I have been given God’s empowering Spirit, not as a license to sin, but as the power to break sin in my life.
Prayer: Father God, forgive me when I think that the price you paid to forgive my sin gives me license to continue in that sin. Help me to see that I may not see a flood or prophet warning me if I choose the path of sin, but that I will experience less of your transforming grace if I do. Help me to want your kingdom and righteousness more than anything else.
Observation: God is incredibly patient, more patient than we can imagine. But there comes a sure point where God decides that he must allow what is to be destroyed in order for something new to come about. Whether it was God restarting humanity with Noah’s family or John announcing that we must repent, the time comes when we must either choose to be faithful or watch calamity occur in our lives. And I also see that the Jewish people expected God to be lenient with them because they were “Children of Abraham” that they special and expected special treatment
Application: I wonder if I as a Christian don’t take living a holy life as seriously as I ought to because I think I can claim special dispensation like these Children of Abraham. I have been given God’s empowering Spirit, not as a license to sin, but as the power to break sin in my life.
Prayer: Father God, forgive me when I think that the price you paid to forgive my sin gives me license to continue in that sin. Help me to see that I may not see a flood or prophet warning me if I choose the path of sin, but that I will experience less of your transforming grace if I do. Help me to want your kingdom and righteousness more than anything else.
